By Naoka Foreman, MSI Student Council Member
First-Generation Week at UNLV this year is marked by several firsts—first time held remotely; first time to take place during a pandemic; and first time the newly-formed Minority-Serving Institution Student Council (MSISC) is participating. However, the most important first during First-Gen Week at UNLV is you! First-Gen Week is about all first-generation faculty, staff, and students at UNLV.
Join MSISC for First-Gen Week for a chance to win a scholarship while meeting the members of the council! MSISC will give away six $500 scholarships to currently-enrolled first-generation students at UNLV. To enter for a chance to win one of these scholarships, RSVP to our Instagram Live event via the following link between November 9 and 12: https://tinyurl.com/msi-scholarship. MSISC will hold an Instagram Live drawing on November 13th at 1:30 PM (@UNLV_MSISC).
In addition to the scholarship drawing, MSISC—through the Black Mountain Institute—will award scholarships to first-generation students who’ve entered the essay contest! Any first-generation UNLV student can enter this contest by writing a short 500-word personal essay inspired by one of the following: Survival, Translation, Firsts. The winner of the contest will receive a $1,000 scholarship offered by the MSI Student Council and be given the opportunity to work with a professional editor from The Believer magazine to develop the essay and to learn about publication opportunities. The second and third place winners will receive scholarships in the amount of $750 and $250, respectively. The deadline to submit your essay is Friday, November 13, 2020. More information about the contest may be found here: https://blackmountaininstitute.submittable.com/submit/177038/unlv-first-gen-student-essay-contest-from-the-intersection-and-black-mountain-ins
Although we cannot come together in person for First-Gen Week this year, MSISC wants to help all the first-generation faculty, staff, and students have a successful year at UNLV! Throughout First-Gen Week, be on the lookout for social media posts from MSISC members with introductions, resources and encouragement!
